Taken Away
by amy1oM
Summary: An alternate ending to episode 3.16 'Taken'... formerly untitled...


**Untitled**

**By** Amy Bristow

**Rating:** PG

**Spoilers:** Season 3.16 "Taken"

**Summary: **An alternate ending to this episode.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "Alias" or its characters but they instead belong to ABC, JJ Abrams, and Bad Robot Productions. No money had been made from this ficlet and I expect not to be sued over it.

* * *

"You son of a..." Dixon's voiced was filled with an unrestrained rage, "That was not a part of our deal!" 

"Nevertheless, Director Dixon, this is how things will play out, for if we do not walk away from this meeting, then your daughter will not live to celebrate her 14th birthday," Sark replied, "It's your choice." Dixon said not a word in reply and Sark moved to fasten the deadly collar around Robin's neck.

"Wait," Sydney called out, and surprising the two men with her, she stepped forward, "Put it on me instead."

"Sydney," Jack's voice's warned.

She looked at her father, "No, Dad, don't try to talk me out of this. Robin's just an innocent kid who didn't choose this life. I did. Sark, put the collar on me."

Sark shrugged, "It's of no consequence to me." He approached her to place the deadly collar when he was halted a third time by Jack Bristow. He turned an irritated look at the elder Bristow, "I am on a schedule here. One of you is going to wear this collar and the next person who speaks will be its recipient."

Sydney could not open her mouth fast enough as Jack beat her to the punch "I'll take it." she heard him say.

This time Sark waited for no further protest, and he locked the collar into place around Jack Bristow's neck before another word could be spoken. He turned to his associate, "Let the girl go." Robin ran to her father was Sark and his goon turned back towards their car. He only paused momentarily when he heard a gun being cocked.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Sark called back over his shoulder, and he held up a control, "For you see, Agent Bristow, if you value your father's life you'll let me retain my grasp on this. For the moment it weakens or falls completely out of my hands, the toxin will immediately be injected into his bloodstream and then you'll get to watch him die of a very fatal heart attack."

Sydney lowered her gun, "Sark, I swear if-"

"You have two minutes to get the collar off of your father's neck. That's more than a generous amount of time if you ask me," Sark replied before getting in the car.

As Sark's car sped out of the area, Sydney looked at Dixon, "Get Robin out of here! Now!"

Not needing to be told twice, Dixon took his daughter away from the area as Sydney turned back to her father. "Dad, why did you let Sark put the collar on you?" She began trying to get it off of his neck.

Jack was calm, "If you thought I was just going to allow a sociopathic killer like Sark put this on you and trust him not to kill you, then you were wrong." He stood perfectly still trusting his daughter not to move the collar in anyway that was going to get him killed instantly. But the collar was not budging and Sydney was growing more alarmed as each passing second drew her father closer to death.

"Dad, I can't find a way to disarm it and Sark said we had to before we removed it or-" They were down to thirty seconds and Jack knew Sark had no intentions on letting the collar's recipient live.

At that moment, Jack Bristow made a decision, "Sydney, leave now."

She was horrified, "No, Dad, I'm not-"

He looked at her, "Sydney, listen to me. Sark never intended to release Robin Dixon alive and I will not have you stand here to watch me die from the toxin."

Tears filled Sydney's eyes, and she reached out to try again, "I'm not leaving you and I am not giving up."

"Sydney-"

She ignored him, and continued the fiddle with the collar and Jack decided not to fight her over this, his final seconds of life. Morbidly he counted the time down in his head, and around the time elapse of two minutes, he felt a sharp prick on his neck. The pain that seized him in his chest was nearly instantaneous, and he doubled over. He would have fallen had Sydney not caught him in her arms.

The toxin wasn't so instant as Sark had said and Jack turned his head to look at his daughter's face, "S-s-ydney - I'm sorry."

Sydney was in tears, "Dad, don't give up on me. Don't you dare die!"

Jack had never been one to give up but Sark's treachery robbed him of this strength to fight it in the end. He just looked at her, regrets filling his mind as he spoke three last words to her, "I love you." With that, Jack Bristow closed his eyes in death.


End file.
